text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Oct 9, 1979
|Filing date
|May 3, 1978
|Priority date
|May 3, 1978
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Charles J. Koester
|Original Assignee
|Koester Charles J
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (49), Classifications (9)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates generally to apparatus and method for microscopic examination of a predetermined object field or plane within biological tissue.
In examining microscopic specimens of some thickness, the desired image is often obscured by light scattered from within the volume of the sample itself. This is particularly true of specimens examined by incident or reflected light, that is, when the illumination and viewing are from the same side of the specimen. The light scattering within the volume of the specimen above and below the plane of interest is reduced if only a small region is illuminated. The scattered light is further reduced if the illuminating light directed onto the object field follows a different path through the scattering medium than does the imaging light propagating from the object field.
A specific problem is the examination of the endothelial cell layer on the inner surface of the cornea of the human eye. These cells are responsible for maintaining the proper water content of the cornea, to prevent swelling and opacification of the cornea. To examine these cells it has been found effective to illuminate a narrow strip of cells using half the aperture of a microscope objective, and to use the other half of the aperture for viewing the cell layer.
The problem addressed by the present invention is the relatively small area which can be viewed or photographed by this method. The strip is typically only about 100 μm wide and perhaps 400 μm long. Even within this narrow strip the image quality is not uniform, generally being partially obscured by scattered light on one side. If a larger area is to be studied, it must be photographed sequentially in strips, which are then placed together as a composite.
Previous solutions to this problem have included a synchronized translation of the tissue and of the recording film. This solution is suitable for study of excised tissue but is not satisfactory for the living eye. Another solution suitable for in vitro studies employs two dimensional scanning of a microscope objective. A third suggested solution has employed a rotating Nipkow disc. While there solutions have shown some success for in vitro studies of excised tissue, they have not been successful in studies on living human eyes. The principal reason is the fact that the living human eye is in nearly constant motion, with only short intervals of time between small rotational movements, called saccades. Therefore, any scanning of such a subject must be done in an elapsed time which is short compared to the time between saccades.
Further solutions to the small field problem were proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,512 to Baer. The Baer arrangement employs an assembly of two slits and a mirror which oscillate as a unit about a specific axis of rotation. The motion of each slit must be equal to or greater than the width of the image which is produced. Uniform illumination must be provided over an area equal to the area of the image which is produced. Another solution employs one or more pairs of appropriately spaced slits located on a disc which rotates in its plane. This also requires a fairly large moving element and uniform illumination over an area the size of the final image.
It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods for illuminating and viewing a strip within a specimen and scanning the strip in a direction transverse to its long dimension so that a two dimensional image is produced. The illuminating and imaging light beams pass through different portions of the aperture of the microscope objective or other imaging lens, so as to minimize the scattered light from out-of-focus portions of the specimen. The moving part is a mirror of one, two or three plane faces, which may be of small dimension. Since the moving part is small, it can more readily be scanned rapidly, so that an image is produced in a time short compared to the time between eye saccades. For example, a mirror in the form of a 1cm cube in one version of this instrument, is oscillated at 500 Hertz, so that a flash lamp of 1/1000 sec duration, properly synchronized, illuminates a full scan of the mirror in one direction.
A further object is to permit an improved image by allowing the slit to be narrower than is presently used in so called specular or endothelial microscopes. In the invention the slit width can be selected for the best image quality, providing only that adequate light is available to produce the image or photographic exposure.
It is also an object to provide an instrument which can be used to view and photograph the endothelial cell layer either in vivo or in vitro.
Finally, a general object is to provide an instrument which will permit examination of a predetermined plane, within a scattering or transparent medium, of an object which is illuminated and viewed from the same side.
The present invention is effective to scan a strip of illumination across the desired object plane, to synchronously scan a slit-shaped viewing aperture across the same object plane, and finally to reconstruct an image thereof by scanning the image of the slit-shaped viewing aperture across a film plane or eyepiece image plane. The scanning is accomplished by three reflections from mirror surfaces which are rotating or oscillating in a rotary motion. To say it another way, the invention makes use of three reflections from a rotating mirror. The mirror may consist of one, two, or three plane faces. Alternatively, two or three synchronously rotating mirrors may be used. An illuminated stationary slit is imaged on the desired plane in the specimen. The slit image is scanned by the first reflection from the rotating mirror to illuminate the specimen. Image light reflecting and returning from the specimen is reflected a second time by the rotating mirror and imaged on a second slit, which is also stationary. This second slit serves to select only that portion of the object or specimen plane which is illuminated by the first slit and to eliminate or mask out all extraneous light, as from light scattering centers elsewhere in the specimen. Continuing, image light propagating from the second slit is reflected a third time from the rotating mirror and brought to a focus at the image plane. The effect of the third reflection is to scan the slit image across the image plane in synchronism with the scan of the illuminated slit in the specimen.
In the description which follows the word rotating is intended to mean either continuously rotating or rotating in an oscillatory manner. In addition, the eye is shown as the specimen to be examined by this system. This is only exemplary of an environment and use of this invention. It should be kept in mind that the system is equally useful in examining other biological specimens and sundry other objects in which the desired detail may be obscured by scattered light from within the volume of the specimen.
FIG. 1 is a simplified plan diagram of the presently preferred exemplary embodiment of this invention, utilizing a three facet rotating mirror.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D are schematic of views taken respectively in directions 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the illuminating and imaging light from a relatively large slit width.
FIG. 3 is an illustration, similar to FIG. 2, of illuminating and imaging light from a relatively narrow slit.
FIG. 4 is a simplified plan view of a relay system which may be used in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a simplified plan diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of this invention, utilizing a single plane rotating mirror.
FIG. 6 is an elevation diagram of a portion of the apparatus in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a simplified plan diagram of a third exemplary embodiment of this invention, utilizing a rotating mirror with two reflecting facets.
FIG. 8 is a plan diagram of an optional image reconstruction system, which can be utilized in connection with a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, 5 or 7.
FIG. 9 is a plan diagram of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which three synchronously rotating mirrors are used.
FIGS. 10, 10A, and 10B illustrate an alternate method of image reconstruction which eliminates the need for a third reflection from the rotating mirror. An array of detectors is placed behind the second slit, and the output of the detectors is utilized to generate a television type display.
FIG. 11 illustrates a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which a pinhole source and pinhole aperture are used. In addition, three wavelength dispersing prisms are used, first to spread the light from the pinhole source into a slit shaped spectrum, next to recombine the wavelengths at the pinhole, and third, to spread the wavelengths into a slit shaped spectrum which is then scanned across the image plane.
FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D are schematic of views taken respectively in directions 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D in FIG. 11.
Referring first to FIG. 1, a light source S generates an illumination light bundle 12 which is collected by a condenser lens L1 and passes through a slit S1. Slit S1 is preferably of variable width. A collimating lens L2 collimates the light from slit S1, and directs it through an aperture 16 to a reflecting facet 17 of a rotatable mirror M1. After reflection from facet 17 the light bundle 12 is incident on an objective lens 13, a microscope objective, which focusses the image of slit S1 on a desired object plane 20 within the volume of a specimen or object 21. It is to be noted that illumination light is directed at the object plane 20 through only about half of the aperture of lens L3.
Light which is reflected or scattered at the desired object plane in the specimen is shown as an image light ray bundle 22, which is collimated by the objective lens L3 and directed to a reflecting facet 23 of mirror M1. After reflection from facet 23, the image light bundle 22 is focussed by a relay lens L4 at a stationary slit S2. The imaging light bundle 22 which has been chosen for illustration is that which propagates from the illuminated portion of the desired object plane 20, within the specimen 21, to the stationary slit S2 via the optics consisting of objective lens L3, reflector facet 23 and relay lens L4. Other light from the illuminated portion of plane 20 may be scattered in other directions, and will not be collected and imaged by the optics and will therefore not contribute to the image. And light rays scattered from other portions of the specimen will not in general pass through slit S2. Slit S2 is preferably of variable width, so as to match the width of the image of slit S1.
Since the object plane 20 is imaged onto the plane of slit S2 the two planes are said to be conjugate. Thus the slit S2 is conjugate to a slit shaped region of plane 20. The microscope is adjusted so that this slit shaped region is coincident with the image of slit S1 at the desired object plane 20 in the specimen. Both slit images are scanned across the selected plane 20 in the specimen as the mirror M1 rotates.
The function of slit S2 is to pass only image light from the narrow strip in the specimen illuminated by the image of slit S1. The jaws of the slit S2 are blackened so that light from other regions of the specimen which strikes the jaws and not the slit S2 will not be reflected back into the system. Mirror M2, adjacent to the stationary slit S2, reflects the light which has passed through slit S2 back through the slit S2, through lenses L5 and L4 to the third reflector facet 28 of rotating mirror M1. A projection lens L6 projects an image of slit S2 on the image plane F at which a recording film is preferably disposed. Because of the reflection from the rotating mirror this final image of the slit S2 is scanned across the film.
Lens L5 is a field lens, the function of which is to image the aperture which precedes the lens onto the aperture which follows the lens. In this case, the field lens L5 is effective to image facet 23 of rotating mirror M1 onto facet 28. This assures that light from the entire illuminated length of the slit S2 will be transmitted to the final image plane.
It is understood that for visual observation an eyepiece may be used to view the image plane F, in addition to or instead of a recording film. Or, for electro-optic display, an image sensor could be substituted for the film. The term "image sensor" is used to signify any of the several types of television camera tubes or solid state detector arrays used for the purpose of converting an optical image to an electrical signal.
In this diagram it has been assumed that objective lens L3 is a microscope objective which is infinity corrected. That is, the optics have been designed so that aberrations are minimized when light from a point in the object plane emerges from the objective as a bundle of parallel rays. Such infinity corrected objectives are sold by several manufacturers. If a non-infinity corrected objective is used, the system can easily be adapted by techniques known to those skilled in the art. For example, a negative lens of proper focal length can be inserted in the space between rotating mirror M1 and the objective lens L3. Or a system with fewer lenses can be constructed by placing slits S1 and S2 at the proper tube length from objective lens L3, thus eliminating the need for lenses L2 and L4.
While for illustrative purposes a filament has been shown as the light source in FIG. 1, it is necessary to use a flash lamp for photography of the living eye to eliminate any blurring due to motion of the eye during exposure. The flashlamp should be located at the position of the source (filament) in FIG. 1. In many cases, it is convenient to utilize both a continuous source such as a filament and a flash source. One commonly used method is to image the continuous source onto the flashlamp in such a way that light from the source will pass through the transparent flashlamp and then into the rest of the optical system.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate schematically how unwanted stray light can be generated by scattering within the volume of the specimen, such as a cornea, and how the use of a narrow slit minimizes the problem. In FIG. 2 a 100 micrometer slit image width is assumed, and an illumination bundle of NA=0.33. In the cornea, a ray with NA=0.33 will be at an angle A with respect to the axis, where sin A=0.33/n and n, the index of refraction of the cornea equals 1.37. 31 is the first surface of the cornea, 32, the second. 33 is the 100 micrometer wide image of slit S1 on the second surface of the cornea 32. Slit image 33 is also the part of object plane 20 under observation (being imaged) at any instant. For aid in understanding 33 may also be thought of as object strip 33. Rays 34 and 35 represent the outer limits of the illuminating bundle, ray 34 being the NA 0.33 ray illuminating the left edge of the slit image, and ray 35 being the NA 0.0 ray illuminating the right edge of the slit image. The shaded area between rays 34 and 35 represents the volume of the cornea or specimen which is illuminated and which can scatter light back into the objective lens. Imaging ray 36 represents the principal image forming ray from the center of the slit image or object strip 33. For purposes of illustration ray 33 has been shown at an angle of 7� to the axis, which corresponds to a ray in the middle of the NA 0.33 bundle in the cornea, i.e. at NA 0.165. It is to be noted that this ray travels almost the entire thickness of the cornea in the illuminated volume. At any point along this ray in this illuminated volume, light scattered in the same general direction as the imaging ray 36 can contribute to stray light in the image. In otherwords, any point in the illuminated volume which also lies within the image light bundle can become a source of unwanted light scatter in the image bundle.
For comparison, FIG. 3 shows at 43 a 20 micrometer wide image of slit S1. Rays 44 and 45 are the outer limits of the illuminating bundle in this case. Imaging ray 46 is the same as imaging ray 36 in FIG. 2. It is to be noted that the path of imaging ray 46 is through only a small portion of the illuminated volume. Therefore the scattered light from the illuminated volume using a 20 micrometer slit width will be much reduced compared to that from the 100 micrometer wide slit.
FIG. 2 also illustrates one reason for unequal image quality over the width of a 100 micrometer wide slit. Image forming light from the left part of image 33 must pass through an illuminated volume of the cornea which is relatively thick. Therefore the corresponding portion of the image will exhibit a large amount of veiling glare light. On the other hand, image forming light from the right portion of slit image 33 travels through a relatively thin illuminated volume. The corresponding portion of the image will be relatively free of stray light. Thus one side of the slit image will exhibit more veiling glare superimposed on the image detail than will the other side.
Scanning provides two benefits. First, this non-uniformity of image quality is removed by the scanning. Second, scanning permits the use of a narrow slit, which gives an image with less scattered light than does the wide slit.
In FIG. 4 a relay system is shown, the purpose of which is to accomplish the precise control over the illumination ray bundle as described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3. If the rotating mirror M1 is located some distance from objective lens L3 as shown in FIG. 1, the rays will pass through different portions of objective lens L3 as the mirror rotates. In FIG. 4 lenses 51 and 52 act together as a unit power afocal telescope which images the apex of mirror M1 on the lens L3 as represented by the phantom lines. Then as mirror M1 rotates the reflected rays will always pass through the same portion of lens L3. To be precisely accurate the preceding statement must be modified in two respects. First, the mirror would have to rotate about its apex rather than its center. Second, if lens L3 is a thick lens, as will be the case for a microscope objective, the mirror apex should be imaged on the second principal plane of lens L3. The second condition can be accomplished by proper focussing of the mirror and lens L3 relative to the afocal telescope. The first condition may be accomplished by design of the mirror rotating mechanism. But in the case of a small mirror and small angular rotation the mirror may rotate about the center of gravity for example with little deliterious effect.
The fact that lenses 51 and 52 constitute an afocal telescope means that parallel rays 12 from mirror M1 are again parallel as they impinge on objective lens L3. Similarly parallel rays 22 emerging from lens L3 will again be parallel as they are incident on mirror M1.
FIG. 5 illustrates the use of a single rotating plane mirror M1 to perform the simultaneous illumination and image scanning. Light 61 from source S is collected by condenser lens L1 and passes through slit S1. Collimating lens L2 reimages source S on a portion of objective lens L3. Slit S1 is imaged by the combined action of lenses L2 and L3 onto the desired plane, C. Light 62 returning from this plane is collimated by the objective lens L3 and is then incident on a portion of mirror M1 adjacent to the portion thereof reflecting the illuminating beam 61.
After reflection from mirror M1 the light is incident on mirror M2 at position 63. Relay lens L4 then brings the light to focus at stationary slit S2, which serves the same function as slit S2 in FIG. 1.
After the light passes through slit S2 it is reflected by mirror M3, again passes slit S2 and field lens L5. Field lens L5 serves the same function as field lens L5 in FIG. 1, except that in this case lenses L5 and L4 together image the left portion of objective lens L3 on mirror M4. Since mirror M4 is then conjugate to objective lens L3, it defines the portion of the lens L3 through which the image forming rays pass. Alternatively M4 may be a larger mirror with an adjacent aperture stop.
It is to be noted that in this arrangement the illumination and image forming rays are constrained to pass through different portions of lens L3; this function is accomplished by imaging the source S and the mirror M4 on different portions of lens L3, at S' and M4' respectively. It may be necessary in some instances to employ a relay system such as shown in FIG. 4 to keep the bundles passing through the same portion of the lens L3 for all positions of the mirror.
FIG. 6 is an elevation diagram of a portion of FIG. 5, illustrating the path of the light from mirror M1 to mirrors M4 and M5, through lens L6 and to the film F. Thus rays 66 pass above mirror M1. This is illustrated schematically in FIG. 5 by showing the rays as dashed lines.
Alternatively, mirror M4 could reflect the light directly to a camera directed perpendicular to the plane of the paper or mirror M4 could reflect the light directly to a viewing system.
Other arrangements are possible in which a single plane mirror can be used to accomplish the desired functions: namely scanning of an image of the illuminated slit, stabilization of the scanned slit image, isolation by means of a slit, and final scanning to reconstruct the composite image. The common factor is to have three reflections from a rotating mirror. To minimize problems with stray light it is preferable to use separate areas of the mirror for each reflection.
FIG. 7 illustrates a scheme in which a mirror with two facets is utilized to accomplish the desired functions. Again there are three reflections, two from the first facet and one from the second facet. Light 71 from the source S is collected by condenser lens L1, passes through slit S1. Collimating lens L2 collimates light from the slit S1, directing it to a portion of rotating mirror M1. After reflection the light is focused by objective lens L3 to an image of slit S1 in the specimen. The rotary motion of mirror M1 causes the slit image to scan across the desired plane in the specimen. Light 72, reflected or scattered by detail in the specimen, is collimated by lens L3 and directed to a portion of mirror M1 adjacent to the portion used for the incident light 71. After reflection from mirror M1, the light is incident on mirrors M2 and M3 which direct the light to lens L4, located on the reverse side of mirror M1. Lens L4 focuses the slit image onto slit S2, which serves the same function as slit S2 in FIG. 1. Mirror M4 reflects the light back through slit S2 and thence to the lens L4 and to the second facet 73 of mirror M1. Field lens L5 serves to image mirror M3 onto Mirror M1 after reflection of the light at mirror M4.
After reflection from the second facet 73 of mirror M1 the image forming bundle 74 is focused by lens L6 to the film plane F. Alternatively an eyepiece or TV camera tube could be substituted at the film plane.
The light source in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7 is shown in simplified form. In many cases it is desirable to add a condenser and an aperture stop, to provide a better controlled light source.
To those skilled in the art it will be apparent that the second and third reflections need not be from the same mirror as the first reflection, but may be from synchronously rotating mirror or mirrors. FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative to a portion of FIG. 5. Consider FIG. 8 as positioned atop FIG. 5. Lens L5 and slit S2 are the same as in FIG. 5 but mirror M3 of FIG. 5 has been removed. In FIG. 8 after passing through the slit S2 the light passes to lens L6, reflects from the rotating mirror M3, and is focussed by lens L7 on the film F. Mirror M3 must rotate synchronously with mirror M1. This can be accomplished by a number of techniques. One method is to use essentially identical oscillating mirrors M1 and M3, and to drive them from the same source of AC power. Experience indicates that certain such mirrors are more easily synchronized if they are driven at a frequency which is substantially different from their resonant frequency. Care must be taken to assure that the sense of rotation of mirror M3 is correct, so that the image on the film is properly reconstructed. For example, if FIG. 8 is combined with FIG. 5, when mirror M1 is rotating clockwise mirror M3 must also be rotating clockwise.
There are two distinct advantages to this system involving two rotating mirrors. First the crowding of optical elements and optical paths around mirror M1 is eased. Second, the slit S2 will be absolutely opaque to all light except that which passes between the jaws. In FIG. 5, the jaws of the slit must be blackened to prevent unwanted light from being reflected back toward lens L4. While blackening can be reasonably effective, it is not possible to achieve total blackness or zero reflection. And methods which approach 100% efficiency are often more involved than a simple slit mechanism.
The camera can be removed still farther from the rotating mirror, etc., by employing a fiber optics bundle. The bundle could consist of a single row of fibers, with the receiving end of the row placed immediately behind the slit S2 in FIGS. 1, 5, 7 or 8. The other end (the emitting end) of the row of fibers is positioned at the first focal plane of lens L6 in FIG. 8, so that the image is reconstructed by the scanning of mirror M3.
A preferred arrangement would be to employ a bundle of fibers consisting of several rows of fibers and a slit wide enought to expose several rows. The placement of the ends is exactly the same as for the single row discussed above. The advantages are that the image will have a more even illumination, and the resolution will be improved over that obtained with a single row of fibers, other conditions being equal.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other arrangements may be used to accomplish the same purpose as that illustrated in FIG. 8. For example, instead of using a rotating mirror to produce the scanning action, it is possible to focus the slit S2 directly on an image plane by means of an image relay system consisting of one or more lenses and to move this image relay system in synchronism with the illumination scan. The image plane referred to above may be the final image plane or an intermediate relay image plane. Second, the recording medium (e.g. film) can be located immediately behind the slit and can be moved synchronously with the illumination scan. A third arrangement is to utilize a flexible image transmitting bundle of optical fibers, the entrance end of the bundle located directly behind slit S2, and the exit end of the bundle arranged to scan across an image plane in synchronism with the illumination scan.
In FIG. 9 three synchronized rotating mirrors are used. This permits the use of separate objective lenses L3 and L4 for the illumination and image formation respectively, which will further improve the separation between illumination and viewing rays within the specimen. It will also eliminate another source of stray light in systems which utilize a single microscope objective, such as L3 in FIG. 1, namely interreflections between lens elements, which can result in some illumination light being reflected into the image forming path.
As in previous examples, light from the source is collected by condenser lens L1, passes through slit S1 and is collimated by lens L2. The light is then reflected by rotating mirror M1, and is focused by objective lens L3 at the object plane P. As mirror M1 rotates clockwise the image of slit S1 will scan across the plane P from right to left.
As was discussed in connection with FIG. 1, there will be in plane P a slit shaped area which is conjugate to slit S2. The position of slit S2 is adjusted so that its conjugate image at plane P is coincident with the image of slit S1. As mirror M2 rotates, the conjugates of slits S1 and S2 remain coincident as they scan across plane P.
Light passing through slit S2 is collimated by lens L6, reflected from rotating mirror M3 and brought to focus by lens L7 on image plane of film plane F. Mirror M3 rotates synchronously with, but in the opposite direction to mirrors M1 and M2. The dashed line connecting mirrors M1, M2 and M3 illustrates how this synchronized rotation could be accomplished. Film F can be replaced by an eyepiece, for visual observation of the image.
A precaution necessary in the system of FIG. 9 is to tilt lenses L3 and L4 in order to have the illumination and viewing scans coincide within the specimen. The amount of the tilt can be found by employing the Scheimpflug condition. According to this principle, to image a given object plane onto a given image plane, one extends these planes until they intersect. The intersection will define a straight line. The plane of the objective lens must then be oriented so as to contain the same straight line. If the object is at optical infinity, as is the slit S1 in FIG. 9, then the plane of the lens must be parallel to the image plane. Thus in FIG. 9, the plane of lens L3 and of lens L4 is parallel to the specimen.
In general the magnification of each lens L3 and L4 will vary across the selected plane in the specimen. Therefore the size of the field must be limited to that area in which the illumination slit image and the viewing slit image overlap.
FIG. 10 illustrates another method for reconstructing the final image, utilizing a television type scan instead of the scanning mirror. In FIG. 10A, S2 is the slit S2 of FIGS. 1, 5, 7 or 9. Immediately behind the slit is a linear array of detectors, as shown at D1, D2, etc., in FIG. 10. The signal from each detector is displayed as a line or narrow band on the final display, illustrated in FIG. 10B. The display, C, could be a cathode ray tube.
It should be noted that in all previously described configurations the resolution achieved is not determined by the width of the slit S1 or S2. That is, in the plane of slit S2 there is an image of plane P, with two dimensional image detail. The slit S2 passes a rectangular shaped portion of this image. The image detail perpendicular to the long dimension of the slit as well as that parallel to the long dimension are preserved in the final reconstructed image. By contrast, in the system illustrated in FIG. 10, no image detail within the width of the slit S2 is preserved. That is, detector D1 essentially integrates all light striking it, and produces a signal proportional to the total light it receives, regardless of any image detail within the breadth of the slit or the length of the detector element. Therefore, the system illustrated in FIG. 10 will have a resolution which is limited by the width of the slit in the horizontal direction, and by the center-to-center spacing between detectors in the vertical direction.
In some applications, the signals from detectors D1, D2, etc., may be fed directly to a computer for analysis. This could be useful in cases in which the image is to be modified by any one of several image enhancing techniques, or the image detail is to be automatically counted and size distribution determined.
If the detectors D1, D2, etc. are sufficiently narrow, it will not be necessary to place a slit adjacent to the detectors. In this case the optical system will be arranged to image slit S1 directly onto the detector array.
FIGS. 2 and 3, as has been described, illustrate the advantage in using a narrow slit and in separating the illumination and viewing light rays within a volume of scattering medium. A further advantage is obtained if a pinhole is used instead of a slit. A Nipkow disc accomplishes this type of scanning, but it requires great precision in fabrication. A relatively simple modification of the systems of FIGS. 1, 5, 7 or 9 can be used to accomplish this purpose. As shown in FIG. 11 a pinhole P1 is used in place of the slit S1, also a pinhole P2 in place of slit S2. A wavelength dispersing prism W1 is placed between the source pinhole P1 and the objective lens L3. It is oriented so that it produces a spectrum, R, fanning out in a direction perpendicular to the page. That is, the spectrum is in the form of a slit with the same position and orientation as the slit image in FIG. 1 extending lengthwise perpendicular to the page. This means that a given small area of the specimen O will be illuminated by a single wavelength, or more precisely a narrow band of wavelengths, say in the red portion of the spectrum. Another small area along the specimen will be illuminated by another narrow band of wavelengths, say in the green.
The light which returns from the specimen O passes through lens L3, reflects from mirror M1 as before, and then passes through dispersing prism W2. If prism W2 is oriented parallel to prism W1, light from the spectrum will be recombined to form a white light image of the pinhole P1 at pinhole P2. After reflection from mirror M2 the light will pass through lens L4 and be dispersed by prism W3 and be reflected again from rotating mirror M1. Thus a spectrum will be formed which will scan across the film plane F. The image will be reconstructed, in one dimension by the wavelength dispersion and in the other dimension by the scanning action.
If the image is recorded on black and white film, the spectrum will of course not be apparent. However, if recording in color is desired, it can be accomplished as follows. The pinholes P1 and P2 can be moved synchronously and slowly along the direction of the slit in FIGS. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 9. Then during one scan of the mirror a given point in the object O may be illuminated with orange light, and then yellow, and so on through the spectrum. Therefore the final image will be built up of many scans, each containing different color information, so that when all scans are complete each image point will have received light from the entire spectrum.
FIG. 11A illustrates the appearance of the pinhole aperture P1 in FIG. 11. FIG. 11B illustrates the appearance of the spectrum in the selected plane of the specimen, O. Closely spaced lines indicate the blue end of the spectrum, widely spaced lines the red end of the spectrum. FIG. 11C illustrates the appearance of the pinhole aperture P2 in FIG. 11. The image of pinhole P1 as reconstructed by prism W2 and lens L4 is superimposed on this pinhole aperture P2. The dashed lines in FIG. 11D illustrate the instantaneous appearance of the spectrum which is formed in the film plane F of FIG. 11. The rectangle in FIG. 11D represents the entire composite image, which is formed by the scanning of the spectrum in the horizontal direction.
FIG. 11 represents only one embodiment of this principle of two dimensional image slicing. One simplification is to use a single dispersing prism instead of prisms W1 and W2. The single prism is placed between the rotating mirror and the objective lens L3. The relay system in FIG. 4 provides two possible positions, the first between mirror M1 and lens 51, the other between lenses 52 and L3.
Examples of variations which would be possible under this invention are:
In fluorescence microscopy, the illumination light will generally be of a shorter wavelength than the fluorescence which is emitted by the object. The invention can be used for fluorescence microscopy by adding filters which are known to those skilled in the art; an excitation filter in the illumination beam and a barrier in the image forming beam.
For dark field microscopy, the illumination light will be incident on the object at an angle of incidence such that light specularly reflected from the object will not be received by the image forming optical system. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. The simplest can be described with reference to FIG. 4. The image of the mirror apex is moved from the center of lens L3 to one side of lens L3, so that the image forming rays occupy the central portion of lens L3 and the illumination rays pass through the extreme outer portion of lens L3.
For differential interference microscopy, a polarizer and a Wollaston type of prism of appropriate design can be placed in the optical path between the mirror M1 and objective lens L3, in FIGS. 1 and 4.
For certain types of light sources it would not be necessary to use the first slit, e.g., S1 in FIG. 1. For example a ribbon filament tungsten lamp has the form of a slit and so the filament could be placed at the position of slit S1 and the system would perform as desired. Or a laser may have a sufficiently narrow beam that a slit is not needed to restrict the size of the beam. In this case it may be necessary to spread the laser beam in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the diagram by means of a lens or combination of lenses in order to have a slit shaped illumination beam at the object. Certain light emitting diodes provide a slit shaped source of light and could be used at the position of slit S1.
In the several configurations given here by way of example, the common features and the essential points remain: (a) the separation of incident and reflected light within the volume of the specimen by using a narrow slit of light, and (b) laying down a composite image of incrementally illuminated and imaged, slit-shaped portions of the specimen, such incremental images being substantially freed of stray light by means of an image field aperture in the middle of the imaging system. The various geometries shown all include these features. They differ only in matters relating to practical considerations of space, accessibility and the like, considerations not essential to the inventive concepts.
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|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 8, 1952
|Aug 14, 1956
|Perkin Elmer Corp
|Means for oscillating a beam in a plane
|Apr 23, 1964
|Dec 26, 1967
|Outlook Engineering Corp
|Compensated optical scanning system
|Dec 13, 1971
|May 28, 1974
|Bendix Corp
|Rotating prism scanning system having range compensation
|Dec 31, 1975
|Dec 13, 1977
|Harris Corporation
|Optical information storage system
|Title not available
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jul 3, 1980
|Apr 6, 1982
|Roberts Calvin W
|Wide field specular scanning device
|May 11, 1981
|Oct 23, 1984
|Koester Charles J
|Axial scanning optical system and method of examining an object plane
|Nov 27, 1981
|Jan 22, 1985
|Xerox Corporation
|Illumination control for raster input scanners
|Jan 16, 1986
|Dec 9, 1986
|Canadian Patents And Development Limited
|Three dimensional imaging method and device
|Apr 28, 1987
|Jan 10, 1989
|Sira Limited
|Inspection apparatus including photodetection and scanning apparatus
|Jul 10, 1987
|Feb 21, 1989
|California Institute Of Technology
|Scanning microscopy
|Jan 4, 1989
|Oct 31, 1989
|Spectra-Tech, Inc.
|Microscope having dual remote image masking
|Aug 2, 1989
|Feb 20, 1990
|Burrer Gordon J
|Passive infrared radiation scanning system
|Feb 9, 1989
|Feb 12, 1991
|Eye Research Institute Of Retina Foundation
|Scanning laser vitreous camera
|Feb 23, 1993
|Jun 14, 1994
|Carl Zeiss-Stiftung
|Slit lamp microscope and selectively insertable diaphragm disk
|Jul 26, 1991
|Sep 19, 1995
|Medical Research Council
|Confocal imaging system for microscopy
|Mar 15, 1994
|Jul 16, 1996
|Technical Instrument Company
|Single aperture confocal imaging system
|Jan 25, 1990
|Mar 11, 1997
|Arthur Michael Solender
|Sensored composite structure
|Feb 21, 1996
|Aug 25, 1998
|Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
|Cytoskeletal active agents for glaucoma therapy
|May 30, 1997
|Oct 26, 1999
|The General Hospital Corporation
|Confocal scanning microscope with angled objective lenses for improved axial resolution
|Oct 16, 1996
|Nov 30, 1999
|Steinhuber; Wolfdietrich
|Imaging optical instrument
|Feb 11, 1998
|Aug 29, 2000
|Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
|Cytoskeletal active agents for glaucoma therapy
|Sep 14, 1999
|Sep 12, 2000
|The General Hospital Corporation
|Confocal scanning microscope with angled objective lenses for improved axial resolution
|Jan 29, 2001
|Jul 1, 2003
|Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
|Cytoskeletal active agents for glaucoma therapy
|May 14, 2002
|Sep 6, 2005
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Optical measuring device
|Feb 12, 2003
|Sep 19, 2006
|Visx, Inc.
|Flexible scanning beam imaging system
|Sep 18, 2001
|Apr 24, 2007
|Vincent Lauer
|Confocal optical scanning device
|Oct 13, 2006
|Oct 28, 2008
|Wolfdietrich Steinhuber
|Optical imaging apparatus
|Mar 4, 2003
|Dec 9, 2008
|Vincent Lauer
|Confocal optical scanning device
|Oct 28, 2008
|Oct 4, 2011
|Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
|Illumination device for a light microscope and light microscope with such an illumination device
|Nov 4, 2011
|Mar 3, 2015
|Carl Zeiss Meditec Ag
|Fundus camera with strip-shaped pupil division, and method for recording artifact-free, high-resolution fundus images
|May 14, 2002
|Jan 2, 2003
|Friedrich Prinzhausen
|Optical measuring device
|Sep 18, 2001
|Feb 19, 2004
|Vincent Lauer
|Confocal optical scanning device
|Feb 12, 2003
|Apr 15, 2004
|Flexible scanning beam imaging system
|Jul 28, 2005
|Dec 15, 2005
|Applera Corporation
|Device for the detection of a fluorescent dye
|Mar 4, 2003
|Nov 2, 2006
|Vincent Lauer
|Confocal optical scanning device
|Oct 13, 2006
|Apr 26, 2007
|Wolfdietrich Steinhuber
|Optical imaging apparatus
|Oct 28, 2008
|Apr 30, 2009
|Leica Microsystems (Schweiz) Ag
|Illumination Device For A Light Microscope And Light Microscope With Such An Illumination Device
|Mar 3, 2009
|Jun 25, 2009
|Life Technologies Corporation
|Device for the Detection of a Fluorescent Dye
|Nov 25, 1982
|Jun 8, 1983
|Xerox Corporation
|Photocell array
|Jun 14, 1985
|Jan 15, 1986
|Heidelberg Instruments GmbH
|Apparatus for imaging sections of the human eye
|Apr 2, 1986
|Oct 15, 1986
|Allergan, Humphrey
|Fundus camera
|Sep 16, 1986
|May 27, 1987
|Eye Research Institute Of Retina Foundation
|Two-dimensional eye fundus scanning apparatus
|Nov 6, 1986
|Jun 10, 1987
|Kowa Company, Ltd.
|Ophthalmic disease detection apparatus
|May 4, 1988
|Nov 9, 1988
|National Research Council Of Canada
|Synchronous optical scanning apparatus
|May 9, 1991
|Mar 10, 1993
|Retina Found Eye Res Inst
|Bidirectional light steering apparatus.
|Jul 8, 1991
|Jun 2, 1993
|Eye Research Institute Of Retina Foundation
|Retinal laser doppler apparatus
|May 8, 2002
|Nov 20, 2002
|Robert Bosch Gmbh
|Optical system for shape measurement
|Oct 5, 2006
|Apr 18, 2007
|STEINHUBER, Wolfdietrich
|Imaging optical apparatus
|Feb 8, 1990
|Aug 23, 1990
|Eye Research Institute Of Retina Foundation
|Scanning laser vitreous camera
|Jul 26, 1991
|Feb 20, 1992
|Medical Research Council
|Confocal imaging system for microscopy
|Oct 11, 2001
|Apr 18, 2002
|Wolfdietrich Steinhuber
|Imaging optical device
|Oct 11, 2001
|Sep 19, 2002
|Wolfdietrich Steinhuber
|Imaging optical device
|Mar 4, 2003
|Sep 12, 2003
|Vincent Lauer
|Confocal optical scanning device
|U.S. Classification
|359/219.1, 351/211
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification


text:
News about reggae music, artists, culture and more...
When Soothsayers dropped lovely ballad We're Not Leaving backed with a Cornel Campbell version in August, fans of the group's current reggae direction could rest assured their next album would be a highlight of 2012.
Now they have another 7" out on the same beautifully crafted backing, played by their loose band of musical spars Red Earth Collective. The A side comes from one of the most collaborative and well loved Jamaican roots artists - Spanish Town deejay Lutan Fyah. His raw but vulnerable tones are perfect for the poignant Autumnal rhythm and lyrically he continues the series' departure theme.
The B side is the vocal to the Cornel Campbell piece issued in August. Featuring that unmistakable falsetto, it's a strong followup to Soothsayers own cut.
I'm Leaving / I'll Never Leave is out on 7" on October 7th. Grab it while you can.
Mr Money Man Riddim
By Angus Taylor
New Albums from Etana and Protoje
By Erik Magni
Paint Jamaica
By Erik Magni
Stephen Marley - Revelation Part II: The Fruit Of Life
By Erik Magni
Positive Vibration Festival 2016
By Erik Magni
Ernest Ranglin Retires from Live Performance
By Angus Taylor
Reggae, Dubs and Dabs
By Erik Magni
Tonight by Isha Blender
By Erik Magni
© 2007-2016 United Reggae. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Read about copyright
Terms of use | About us | Contact us | Authors | Newsletter | A-Z

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My soul mate
Kenneth is my soul mate
viết bởi Kenneths soul mate 05 Tháng năm, 2016
(noun) a person who is homosexual. likes big boys and their big toys,plays classical music, and is a ASA(asian student association) representative like a loser(adjective) a phrase gay asian people say to say im gay and i have a little penis
person 1: Dude, I'm so Kenneth
viết bởi troll215 10 Tháng mười, 2011
A father who never lets his daughter do anything. Hes fat, and a real jackass. He never lets anyone have fun. He just likes to eat. He sucks major wangs and needs to get a life.
Her dad is such a Kenneth!
viết bởi holy_tubbs_batman 03 Tháng năm, 2011
Kenneth is the street name from Ketamine.
Where's Kenneth?
viết bởi Frogbox. 03 Tháng chín, 2009
A nerd who has some badass moments.
And is heavily influenced by a grade eight.
And is heavily influenced by a grade eight.
Grade Eight : That guy called me an LG.
Fuck him !
Kenneth : Fuck you.
Fuck him !
Kenneth : Fuck you.
viết bởi Grade eight 18 Tháng mười hai, 2008
Half a pint of british 'bitter', such as John Smiths or Tetley's. Named after Ken Barlow in the UK soap, Coronation Street for what he orders at the bar.
Barman: What y'havin?
Customer: Um... a kenneth please!
Customer: Um... a kenneth please!
viết bởi Mark Quaile 26 Tháng mười một, 2007
A slang term for Ketamine
Hey Andy, will Kenneth be at the party tonight?
viết bởi Ketmister 02 Tháng tám, 2006


text:
posted on: 5/6/13
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text:
Product Reviews
Fantasic foilage
We recently moved into a new home. After everything was in place, the Great Room still needed something. I ordered several plants from Overstock and this one was placed in the conversation area. It is a beautiful, real-looking plant that overflows an eyecatching container. I couldn't have asked for anything that worked better to soften the decor and welcome people to sit down and enjoy.
- How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Just right
- Please tell us about the quality of the product. Excellent
- How accurate was the on site description of the product? Very accurate
Was This Review Helpful?
People who bought this also bought


text:
mood 1
1A temporary state of mind or feeling: he appeared to be in a very good mood about something
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- In this case, a worker may try to dispel a bad mood by suspending work, rather than searching for a new solution.
- Another way in which emotions and moods affect judgement is the well-known relationship between good mood and overconfidence.
- Small wonder that your mood and self-esteem are plummeting and you're looking for comfort from food.
frame/state of mind, humor, temper;
disposition, spirit, tenor
1.1An angry, irritable, or sullen state of mind: he was obviously in a mood
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- Most of the time if Nicole told me to do something, I would, because if I did not do what she told me to, she would get in a mood with me.
- Natalie just called from the car and she's in a mood.
- They're the band you put on when you are in a mood.
a bad mood, a (bad) temper, a sulk, a fit of pique;
low spirits, the doldrums, the blues, a blue funk
informal the dumps
1.2The atmosphere or pervading tone of something, especially a work of art: Monet's "Mornings on the Seine" series, with their hushed and delicate mood
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- Painters in turn portrayed the poems, capturing the moods or personality of the characters or themes.
- Colour couldn't create the mood and tone I was going for: the character is drained of emotion, devoid of attachment to reality, thus there is no colour.
- The artistry comes when you take someone else's music, and use it to create a mood or an atmosphere, or send people on an aural journey of sorts.
atmosphere, feeling, spirit, ambience, aura, character, tenor, flavor, feel, tone
(Especially of music) inducing or suggestive of a particular feeling or state of mind: mood music a Chekhov mood piece
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- There's a jazz quartet playing mood music under the neon coloured strip lights barely audible in the hubbub of a full bar and seating area.
- They were playing mood music in the Doctor's surgery as we waited.
- It would be too easy to turn it into another documentary style presentation complete with archive footage, computer animation and mood music.
in the right frame of mind, wanting to, inclined to, disposed to, minded to, eager to, willing to
in the mood for (or to do) something
- Feeling like doing or experiencing something: if you're in the mood for an extra thrill, you can go paraglidingMás ejemplos en oraciones
- Of course if you are in the mood to experiment, you can make your own cherry facial scrub and mask.
- I'm not really feeling better, but I'm also in the mood to do something other than wallow.
- I'm feeling quite positive today and in the mood to make resolutions.
in no mood for (or to do) something
- Not wanting to do or experience something: she was in no mood for sightseeing
Palabras que riman con moodallude, brood, collude, conclude, crude, delude, dude, elude, étude, exclude, extrude, exude, feud, food, illude, include, intrude, Jude, lewd, nude, obtrude, occlude, Oudh, preclude, protrude, prude, pseud, pultrude, rood, rude, seclude, shrewd, snood, transude, unglued, unsubdued, who'd, you'd
For editors and proofreaders
División en sílabas: mood
Definición de mood en:
mood 2
1 Grammar A category or form that indicates whether a verb expresses fact (indicative mood), command (imperative mood), question (interrogative mood), wish (optative mood), or conditionality (subjunctive mood).
Oraciones de ejemplo
- French also has the option of the embedded clause appearing in the subjunctive mood.
- He wants to move the claim from the conditional to the indicative mood, as the grammarians would say.
- But the key point here is that it's the subjunctive mood, not the subjunctive case.
For editors and proofreaders
División en sílabas: mood
Definición de mood en:
¿Qué te llama la atención de esta palabra o frase?
Los comentarios que no respeten nuestras Normas comunitarias podrían ser moderados o eliminados.
Muy popular en Reino Unido
Muy popular en Australia
= de moda


text:
I want to use facebook's graph api to retrieve a page's photos. Here's the call I'm using:
'https://graph.facebook.com/'. $pageID .'/photos?access_token='. $page_access_token
For some reason this call returns an empty data set. I am using a page access token not an users, and the user is the admin of the page I'm trying to retrieve photos from. The page ID is correct since when I use this call to get the page's events it works well. Am I using the wrong call?


text:
Multiple Sclerosis Society: Troll attack
MS sabotages your central nervous system.
Advertising Agency: WhybinTBWATequila, Auckland, New Zealand
Executive Creative Director: Andy Blood
Creative Directors: Carl Lough, Chris Childerhouse
Illustrator: Lauren Marriott
Account manager: Jenny McMillian
Published:December, 2011
8 comments
LuckyHopeDec 02, 2011 - 13:20
I feel there could be more coherence between the visual and the copy.
I feel there could be more coherence between the visual and the copy.
Yes, the visual says MS sabotages your central nervous system.
But I see the main focus of the copy being that somebody else is in control. the monster just playing with the control panel perhaps (and not destroying them)?!
mitali prasadDec 02, 2011 - 14:24
interesting ad...but what is it trying to say-the tagline?
Roger KeynesDec 02, 2011 - 23:58
The Jobless Writer
Tells it like it is. Terribly good.
The Jobless Writer
Will Think for Salary


text:
The Alternative Recreation Test
Their result for The Alternative Recreation Test ...
You scored 50% fearless, 30% zany, 30% aggressive, and 50% sexy!
Shuffleboard is a game where players push a small disk in a narrow elongated play area with the purpose of positioning it within a marked area.
Sounds interesting? Visit www.shuffleboard.net for more info.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the definition.
Archery is the sport of using a bow to shoot arrows at a target. Historically used for combat and hunting, it is has become a precision sport.
Sound interesting? Visit www.archery.org for more info.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the definition.
Their Analysis (Vertical line = Average)
They scored 50% on danger-fear, higher than 26% of your peers.
They scored 30% on zany-boring, higher than 15% of your peers.
They scored 30% on aggress-patienc, higher than 24% of your peers.
They scored 50% on sexy-childlike, higher than 21% of your peers.
All possible test results
You seem to have the patience and sense of adventure that would be well-suited to Geocaching! WHAT IT IS: Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participant... Read more
You're patient and you're not the dangerous type. You might like Shuffleboard! Sound a little dull for your tastes? Then try Archery! WHAT IT IS: Shuffleboard is a gam... Read more
You're patient and sensual. Perhaps you would enjoy Contortionism! WHAT IT IS: Contortionism is an unusual form of acrobatic display which involves the dramatic bending and fle... Read more
You're patient and you're not the type to seek out danger. You're also a kid at heart. Perhaps you would like Twirling! WHAT IT IS: Baton twirling, usually associated with dru... Read more
Your aggressive nature indicates you might do well at Fencing! WHAT IT IS: In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the art and science of armed combat involving cutting, stab... Read more
Tombstone Rubbing
Your dark side suggests you might be interested in trying Tombstone Rubbing! WHAT IT IS: Tombstone rubbing is the hobby of using paper and drawing materials to make rubbings of grav... Read more
Your fun nature and patience would be well-suited to Juggling! WHAT IT IS: Deriving from the Middle English word "jogelen," to entertain by performing tricks, the term juggling ... Read more
Your gentle and creative nature indicates you may excel at Synchronized Swimming! WHAT IT IS: A hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and ballet, synchronized swimming involves compet... Read more
Hula Hooping
You're fun and you're in touch with your inner child. You also have the patience required to become a master at Hula Hooping! WHAT IT IS: Just in case you have never seen one, ... Read more
You're a ball of energy! You would love Jazzercising! WHAT IT IS: Jazzercise is a fitness program that combines elements of jazz dance into aerobic exercise. The name also refe... Read more
Swing Dancing
You're a creative type with energy to spare. Might I suggest Swing Dancing? WHAT IT IS: Swing dance is a jazzy style of dance characterized by lots of fun and energy. In many ... Read more
Belly Dancing
You're sensual, fiery and wild. You would probably enjoy Belly Dancing! WHAT IT IS: Belly dance is a Western name for a style of dance developed in the Middle East and other Ar... Read more
Hang Gliding
The view, the sense of adventure, the danger..! Ever consider Hang Gliding? WHAT IT IS: Hang gliding is an air sport. It is both recreational and competitive. The sport is clos... Read more
Not one to be fearful, you might enjoy the adventure and mystery of Spelunking! WHAT IT IS: Spelunking, also called caving, is the recreational sport of exploring caves. The ch... Read more
Fire Eating
Your fearless nature and wild side prompt me to suggest Fire Eating! WARNING: Fire eating is a very dangerous act and should not be attempted without professional training!!! b... Read more
Aggressive and determined, you would be a natural at Handball! WHAT IT IS: There are two basic types of handball - team handball (an Olympic sport) and wall handball. ... Read more
Jai Alai
Your fearless and aggressive nature suggest you might enjoy the world's fastest sport, Jai Alai! WHAT IT IS: Pronounced hī" u-lī', jai alai, also called pelota, is a g... Read more
You're fiery and you love danger. You might also love Motorcross! WHAT IT IS: Motocross (often shortened to (MX) or MotoX) is a form of motorcycle racing or all-terrain vehicle... Read more
You're slightly wacky and you like a little danger. You should try Bobsledding! WHAT IT IS: Remember sledding with your friends in the winter? Well, add a few more friends and... Read more
Base Jumping
You're dangerous and determined. And if someone told you to go jump off a bridge, you just might do it, because you're the kind of person who would love Base Jumping? WARNING: Base ... Read more
Flying Trapeze
You're fearless, adventurous and a little crazy, but in a charming way. Perhaps you would enjoy the Flying Trapeze. WHAT IT IS: Most people who have been to the circus will be ... Read more
Street Luge
My research shows you are fearless and wild. Your aggressive and fearless nature might be compatible with Street Luge. WHAT IT IS: Street luge was born in Southern California a... Read more
You're fearless. You're aggressive. Are you ready to suit up and try Paintball? WHAT IT IS: Paintball is a sport in which participants use compressed air guns called markers t... Read more
You're dangerous, wild and a wee bit insane. You'd be a natural on the Krumping scene! WHAT IT IS: Krumping (similar clown dancing or clowning) is a fast growing style of hip h... Read more
Recent Results
elvenlogicx26 / f / Straight
americanrites27 / m / Straight
Edelfuru26 / f / Gay
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now do you really know me?
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In my opinion, being adventurous is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you try new things every now and then, sure you could run into...
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Find out witch of Divergent faction you belong.
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This test is to show which kind of wife you are, or will be (if that is your thing). Remember to answer honestly, otherwise any future spouses out th...
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Hya Visitor ! Welcome to my FrenchKissFullMouthPierro Test. Be ready for anything, life is short ... Intelligence, Humour, Kinkiness, Slavabilit...
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Hi! I'll be asking questions regarding the automotive cultural set u fit into. Also whether you are more speed/power oriented or more appearnce orien...
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text:
3d java for nokia 6233 download download B0I3 free file
== Search results for 3d java for nokia 6233 download ==
Searched file: 3d java for nokia 6233 download
*Filename: 3d java for nokia 6233 download.zip
*Year: 2015
*Total Downloads: 33757
*Uploaded: 02/25/2015 15:05:59
*Type: WinZip
*Supported OS: All
== Searches related to 3d java for nokia 6233 download: ==
02/25/2015 15:05:59
Mobile Entertainment Studios is a publisher of mobile games. You can browse our content catalogue including our mobile games, 3d mobile games, free downloads, java ...Download free mobile games Symbian and Java, mobile softwares, themes for Nokia and Sony Ericsson mobiles.Advertisement: Capoeir features: Practice world's most fashionable sport! Feel the rhythms, the colors and the power of Brazil. Uploaded 1044 day(s) agoNokia 6233 Review: Find free Nokia 6233 games download. Having verbal in the circle of my friends about expected heirs to their 6210s (or 6310s), I base out that a ...Free java games for nokia Samsung ... © 2015 WwW.GamezWap.NetDownload free Cell Phone games for your Mobiles. You can download free Nokia games, Sony Ericsson games, Motorola games & Samsung games. Find great …Oracle Technology Network is the ultimate, complete, and authoritative source of technical information and learning about Java.Big collection of free Nokia Asha 201 games. Download games for Nokia Asha 201 or any other mobile phone very easy and quick.Get any Nokia C3 game you want without any payments! At our site you can find many interesting and free games. Every day we replenish our collection with new ones for ...Huge selection of free ringtones, themes, wallpapers and games for mobile phones. 8.4 million items shared by more than 25 million Zedge users world-wide. No charges ...
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text:
I'm looping thru all the document form elements with the below loop. While looping I would like to know if this element is from the second table in the form. My issue is the table has no name. How can I know if I'm dealing with an element that is in the second table of the form???
Code:var field = document.forms['ovrFrm'].elements; for (i = 0; i < field.length; i++) { //DO SOMETHING HERE }


text:
Staybridge Suites Wilmington East
5010 New Centre Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States of America – Great location - show map
Excellent location – rated 9/10! (score from 135 reviews)
Rated by guests after their stay at Staybridge Suites Wilmington East.
|Room Type
|Two Bedroom Suite with Accessible Roll in Shower - Non Smoking
|Double Room with Two Double Beds - Disability Access/Non-Smoking
|Room Selected at Check-In
|King Studio with Sofa Bed - Non-Smoking
|One-Bedroom King Suite - Non-Smoking
|One-Bedroom Queen Suite - Non-Smoking
|Two-Bedroom Suite - Non-Smoking
6 Reasons to Choose Staybridge Suites Wilmington East
Low rates
42 properties in Wilmington
Manage your bookings online
They speak 2 languages
Booking is safe
Facilities of Staybridge Suites Wilmington East Great facilities! Review score, 9.1
Pool and Spa
- Heated Pool
- Saltwater Pool
- BBQ Facilities
Pets are allowed on request. Charges may apply.
- Golf Course (within 2 miles)
- Fitness Center
- Indoor Pool (all year)
- Library
Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is needed).
Front Desk Services
- 24-Hour Front Desk
- Express Check-in/Check-out
- Baggage Storage
Entertainment and Family Services
- Board Games/Puzzles
- Books, DVDs, Music for Kids
- Kids' TV Networks
Cleaning Services
- Laundry
- Dry Cleaning
- Daily Housekeeping
Business Facilities
- Business Center
- Fax/Photocopying
- Airport Shuttle
- Newspapers
- Safe
- Convenience Store (on site)
- Non-smoking Rooms
- Facilities for Disabled Guests
- Family Rooms
- Elevator
- Heating
- All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)
- Air Conditioning
Languages Spoken
- Spanish
- English
Area Info – Great location - show map
Hieronymus Restaurant (0.2 miles), Oceanic Restaurant (5 miles), Front Street Brewery & Restaurant (5 miles)
Jax 5th Avenue Deli & Ale House (0.1 miles), Starbucks Coffee (0.5 miles), Dunkin Donuts (0.2 miles)
Lowe's Grocery Store (0 miles)
Walmart Superstore (0.2 miles)
Atlantic Ocean (4 miles)
From 3:00 PM
Until 12:00 PM
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to room type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.
Children and Extra Beds
All children are welcome.
One child under 18 years stays free of charge when using existing beds.
There is no capacity for extra beds in the room.
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text:
Tips & Pairings
Use sliced Mezzetta Hot or Tamed Jalapeno Peppers as a flavorful topping for cheeseburgers, sandwiches, tacos and more.
Jalapeños are moderately hot chili peppers that are two to three inches long and usually dark…get tips & recipes >
90 degrees in the shade: Refresh with this cool watermelon salad
Summer is all about grilling and we've got a few tips up our sleeve...
Our culinary team, along with 25 Mezzetta team members tested and approved the recipe, and we think you'll love it, too.
For a festive look, soak corn in cold, salted water for 30 minutes, drain and remove a piece of husk and use it to tie back the rest. Grill as usual.


text: Charming Shoppes Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player. Charming Shoppes ( CHRS) is a multi-brand, specialty apparel retailer with a market share in women's plus-size specialty apparel. This stock is trading up 3.45% to $4.80 in recent trading, after it hit a 52-week high of $5 earlier today. Today's Range: $4.70-$5.00 52-Week Range: $2.29-$5.00 Volume: 3.4 million Three-Month Average Volume: 2.6 million Charming Shoppes has a market cap of $551.20 million and an enterprise value of $526 million. This stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings of 21.50. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 121.9%, and for next year it's pegged at 214.3%. The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Charming Shoppes is very high at is 17.3%. From a technical standpoint, CHRS is very close to triggering a major breakout if the stock can manage to sustain a high-volume move and close above some near-term overhead resistance at $4.91. At last check, the volume is very strong and is already trending above CHRS's average action. Traders should now look for the stock to close above $4.91 and near the daily high of $5.00. If we get that action either today, or in the near future, then look for CHRS to trade back towards $6 to $7. Prev 1 of 7 Next


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All it takes is one twisting, curling air hose to create a tripping hazard and completely clutter the work area. The ReCoiler is a new hose-storage system with a manual rewind – you just turn a crank to feed the outlet hose through a slot in the side of the housing. The inlet hose has 5 feet of slack and projects from the middle of the housing. The two-layer polyurethane hose is designed to resist kinking. The product is available with a 1/4-inch by 100-foot hose or a 5/16-inch by 75-foot hose.
¦ Price: $130. www.pneupowerus.com.
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1st Birthday Party
Kids Birthday
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Birthday Party Favors
Birthday Party Favors Packaging
Birthday Party Supplies
Birthday Party Ideas & Inspiration
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1. Customer is responsible for owning the copyright or having permission from the copyright holder for all images uploaded to this website. Customer agrees to hold Beau-coup harmless from any claim arising out of the use of copyrighted material.
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Add a touch of class to your birthday party when you serve cool drinks in this monogrammed glass pitcher! This dishwasher safe pitcher features a handle and an easy-pour spout, and is a piece you'll be using to entertain for years to come. Pitcher can be engraved with a block initial at no additional cost.
Make sure to give engraved black leather flasks and Cool Bean jelly bean cocktail mixers to your cocktail-loving party goers.
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Personalized Wood Sign
Looking for the perfect birthday gift for that special someone? These real wooden bar signs make the perfect accent to any young man's (or woman's) space! View Product
Personalized Tailgate Backpack Cooler Chair
This insulated cooler backpack chair allows you to take the party wherever you go! Perfect for an outdoor birthday party, this unique 3-in-1 tote makes storing and carrying your food and drinks a breeze. View Product
Personalized Pilsner Glasses
This personalized glass pilsner gift set is perfect as a groomsmen gift or birthday gift. With stylish design and customization, your bridal party will love this unique thank you gift. Glasses are sold in sets of 4 and can ... View Product
Personalized Wood Carved Beer Tasting Set
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I recently got a retina display MacBook, and all my screenshots (via ⌘ CMD+⇧ SHIFT+3 or ⌘ CMD+⇧ SHIFT+4) end up being twice the size compared to how they appear on-screen.
How can I stop this from happening?
I recently got a retina display MacBook, and all my screenshots (via ⌘ CMD+⇧ SHIFT+3 or ⌘ CMD+⇧ SHIFT+4) end up being twice the size compared to how they appear on-screen.
How can I stop this from happening?
Here is the most convenient solution (Taken from http://www.quora.com/How-can-I-get-my-retina-Mac-to-not-take-screenshots-that-are-too-big and modified a bit)
Use OsX embedded Automator to downsize screenshots automatically after they taken.
Here is saved workflow file
This is how I handle it. It's convoluted, but it works, and doesn't interrupt my screen-grab -> paste workflow wildly... I just screengrab, call an alfred workflow, and then paste.
I launch this script from Alfred to make it easy to get to:
LifeHacker had an article on sips http://lifehacker.com/5962420/batch-resize-images-quickly-in-the-os-x-terminal that I referenced, as well as this gist: gist.github.com/lanceli/4966207.
For Alfred, I just made a workflow that runs this as a bash script:
Two workarounds:
For instance:
Obviously the layout may change a bit, but it may be ok depending on your needs.
Your best bet is to use a third party utility like RetinaCapture.
This is quite cumbersome to use, but gives you what you're looking for, and provides the option for generating both 1x and 2x screen captures at the same time, which is helpful if you're building a website:
I expect that there is a setting somewhere to do this (
When you say your screenshots "end up" twice the size, I suspect you're sending them to people who are viewing them on non-retina displays. If so, that's to be expected – the pixel density on your display is higher, so when they view a screenshot taken from your machine on theirs, it'll appear physically larger.
One workaround for this, if you're sending the screenshots via OS X Mail, is to set the Image Size setting for attached images to "Large" instead of "Actual Size." That'll scale down the attached image such that it'll appear "normal" when viewed on a non-retina display.
use the following addon for firefox


text:
How To Make Your Own Glitter Nail Polish in 2 Minutes
6 Things You NEED To Quit Doing for Better Curl Formation
The Best Way To Keep Your Hair Moisturized In Summer Heat
Does The New Kenra Curl Line Actually Work? Our 4C NaturallyCurly Editor Finds Out!
13 Awful-Smelling Fragrances No Woman Should Wear
Haircuts That Make You Look Thinner
6 Stunning Bridal Hair and Makeup Tutorials
DIY Your Way to Brighter Healthier Nails
Go Mod! 12 Edgy Checkered Nail Art Designs
10 Mani-Pedi Color Combos to Try
27 Insanely Cool Stiletto Nail Designs
8 Day-to-Night Holiday Makeup Looks That Take 5 Minutes or Less
11 Best Instagram Beauty Moments of 2015 - Ranked
9 Luxe Travel Products to Look Gorgeous on the Go
Baaaah! 9 Pretty Sheep Nail Art Designs
5 Brilliant Contouring Tutorials for Dark Skin
How to Apply False Lashes Like a Pro
How to Do the Smoky Eye Like a Pro
The Best Nail Art of the Week
13 Unexpected Ways to Wear Gold Makeup This Holiday Season
12 Nude Nail Polishes for Every Skin Tone
21 Glittery Nail Polishes You Need for the Holidays
11 Makeup Mistakes You Don't Realize You're Making
Level Up: Neck Contouring Is the Latest Trend
11 Beauty Lessons From the Hunger Games
This Daily Dry Oil Will Be Your New Fave Product
The Best Mascara for People Who Hate Mascara
MAC's New Collection: a Modern Twist for Spring 2016
20 Harry Potter Spells Every Beauty Junkie Wishes Were Real
5 Beauty Staples Coconut Oil Can Replace


text:
User Reviews & Ratings - Ocella oral
Read user comments about the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Ocella oral.
Overall User Ratings270 Total User Reviews
User Reviews
Learn about
User Reviews
Reviewer: Dloke, 25-34 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
It was terrible. I have had sore breasts and acne and headaches like terrible. My neck and back are so sore from when I wake up to when I go to bed I hate it....
Reviewer: 19-24 Female on Treatment for 1 to less than 2 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
Reviewer: Generic believer but not this one!, 25-34 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
My insurance switched me from Yasmin to Ocella. I take other generics so never thought twice about the change. I took Yasmin for 4 years and Ocella for 4 months and had to get off of it. I had to give myself time to adjust, I shouldn't have! I couldn't handle life anymore. I was depressed, had a very short fuse and constantly felt uncomfortable in my body. I started having issues sleep ... Show Full Comment
found this review helpful.
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Reviewer: 25-34 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I have experienced serve heavy bleeding a rash on face almost a burning feeling diaherra and vomiting missed periods, heavy periods.....now taking pregancy tests....what kinda b/c is left for a 34 diabetic firstname.lastname@example.com
Reviewer: Jaytee, 19-24 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Ease of Use
I started to take Ocella on the first day of my period. I was given this brand because its what my pharmacy gives first when there is a generic medication. Well the first three days I had a normal period but I'm on pill 11 and i'm still spotting this horrible watery brown stuff, its more like a light period. My hands, eyes, feet are swollen. I have a headache everyday and I'm nauceous ... Show Full Comment
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 14, 1992
|Filing date
|Nov 9, 1990
|Priority date
|Nov 9, 1990
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Juan E. Lopez, Edgar D. Sheh
|Original Assignee
|Dataproducts Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (5), Classifications (9), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for driving the transducers in ink jet print heads. In particular, to a drive system with a voltage source having waveshape circuit for shaping the voltage supplied to the transducers and a method of operating the source.
2. Description of Related Art
In typical ink jet printers, a print head having one or more ink jets is moved back and forth over a target. As the print head moves, ink drops are ejected from the ink jets and impact the target to form images. The printer is generally provided with a controller which monitors movement of the print head and controls ejection of the ink drops such that the drops hit the target in the proper locations to form desired images.
Each ink jet in such print heads typically includes a orifice in communication with a variable volume chamber. The chamber is filled with ink supplied from an ink reservoir. A transducer is coupled with the chamber such that activation of the transducer causes the volume of the chamber to change to thereby eject a drop of ink from the orifice toward the target. A voltage source, typically not located on the print head, supplies a constant voltage to the print head. A drive circuit on the print head, in response to signals received from the controller, activates any particular transducer by coupling it to the constant voltage source at the desired time.
It is known that the shape and velocity of the ejected ink drop, and other factors which influence the ultimate quality and resolution of the printed image, depend, to some extent, on the excitation waveshape the plot of voltage applied to the transducer over time, applied to the transducer. Therefore, it is usually desirable for each transducer to be driven with the same excitation waveshape. It is also frequently desirable to drive the transducers with a particular waveshape to achieve ink drops with desired properties. However, because of manufacturing variations and the like, each transducer typically has a slightly different capacitance. As a result, when the constant voltage is applied to different transducers, each having a different capacitance, the excitation waveshape for each transducer may vary slightly.
To compensate for this problem, each transducer in a print head is typically coupled with a series network, usually a series resistor to control rise time and a diode in series with a second resistor to control fall time, to adjust the individual excitation waveshape for each transducer to a desired excitation waveshape. However, as can be appreciated, the individual adjustment of the excitation waveshape for each transducer in a print head can be very inefficient and costly. More importantly, the provision of a series network for each transducer can consume a relatively large amount of space on a print head, particularly for print heads having a large number of ink jets. This frequently requires the use of larger, more cumbersome print heads, which can adversely affect many other aspects of printer performance and design.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved transducer drive system that is compact and efficient.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transducer drive system which drives each transducer with a consistent and desirable excitation waveshape.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved transducer drive system which is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and reliable.
In accordance with these and other objects, a transducer drive system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a print head having a plurality of ink jets. Each ink jet has an associated transducer which can be activated to eject ink from the ink jet. A controller determines a transducer activation period during which selected transducers are to be activated. In response to the controller, a voltage source generates a drive voltage during the activation period. A drive circuit is used to apply the drive voltage to the selected transducers during the transducer activation period.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention the drive voltage is shaped to a desired excitation waveshape by a waveshape circuit. During the transducer excitation period, the excitation waveshape is applied simultaneously to the selected transducers.
Other objects and aspects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the invention which is presented by way of example and not as a limitation of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a drive system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of one possible voltage source and waveshape circuit for use with the drive system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows the output enable signal supplied to the voltage source and waveshape circuit of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows drive voltage waveshape generated by the voltage source and waveshape circuit of FIG. 2.
A block diagram of a transducer drive system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The drive system is ideally suited for use with an ink jet print head 12 (illustrated in block form) having a plurality of transducers 14 which, upon activation, eject ink from the print head onto a target. The drive system 10 includes a controller 16 which monitors movement of the print head 12 and determines when each transducer 14 should be activated to eject ink, and thereby form a desired image on the target.
The controller 16 serves at least two distinct functions. First, the controller 16 provides serial print data indicative of which transducers 14 must be actuated at any given time. This information is provided to a drive circuit 18 which utilizes the print data to select the transducers which should be activated at any given time. Second, the controller 16 determines the time at which any group of selected transducers 14 must be activated. At the appropriate time, in response to the controller, a voltage source and waveshape circuit 20 is activated to produce an activation voltage for the transducers 14. At the same time, also in response to the controller 16, the drive circuit 18 activates the selected transducers 14 by coupling them with the drive voltage and waveshape circuit 20. In this manner, by selectively activating the appropriate transducers at the appropriate times, the controller produces the desired image on the target.
In the illustrated embodiment, the controller operates to activate groups of one or more selected transducers simultaneously. Further, the controller operates to activate only one group of selected transducers at any given time. That is, the controller determines a transducer activation period. At the outset of the transducer activation period the controller produces an output enable signal which activates, or turns on, the voltage source and waveshape circuit 20 which produces a drive voltage. At the same time, the output enable signal is provided to the drive circuit 18 which selects one or more transducers, based on the serial print data. The drive voltage is applied to the selected transducers and the selected transducers are activated more or less simultaneously. At the end of the transducer activation period, the controller deactivates, or turns off, the voltage source. The voltage source remains deactivated and no more transducers are activated until the next transducer activation period.
As can be appreciated, the voltage source and waveshape circuit of a drive system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is not always turned on. Rather, the voltage source is turned on only during the transducer activation periods and is turned off when no transducers are being activated. This increases the efficiency of the system and increase the life expectancy of the voltage source, thereby improving the reliability of the drive system.
It should also be appreciated that the details of the operation and structure of the controller are not critical to the drive system of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment the controller is a microprocessor provided with the necessary programming to perform the appropriate tasks. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the particular controller, or the programming for the controller, may be influenced by factors beyond the scope of this invention and that there are a wide variety of controllers and programs which are suitable for use with the drive system of the present invention.
Similarly, one skilled in the art will recognize that the particular drive circuit used is not of importance to the present invention. The drive circuit in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present drive system is capable of receiving print data from the controller and selectively activating transducers during the appropriate transducer activation periods. The particular manner in which this is accomplished may vary depending on the intended application, environment, or the preferences of the designer. It has been found that drive chips of the type frequently used on display devices are well suited as drive circuits.
It is well known that the excitation waveshape, that is a plot of the voltage applied to a transducer over time, applied to an ink jet transducer can influence the shape and velocity of the ejected ink drop. Further, variations in drop shape and velocity can result in variations in print quality and resolution. Accordingly, in many situations it is desirable to shape the drive voltage in a desired manner to achieve a desired drop shape and velocity. It is also frequently desirable for all transducers to be activated with the same excitation waveshape. A drive system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is ideally suited to accomplish both of these goals.
In systems where the drive voltage source is constant, the excitation waveshape is largely dependant on the particular electrical characteristics of the transducer being activated. Thus, alteration of the excitation waveshape to obtain a desired, or a consistent, waveshape typically requires the use of a series network coupled to each transducer.
However, in a preferred embodiment of the present drive system, the voltage source is turned on at the beginning of each transducer activation period and turned off at the end of the transducer period. Thus, the source itself creates an excitation waveshape. Further, because the magnitude of the electrical characteristics of the transducers is substantially smaller than magnitude of the electrical characteristics of the voltage source, the excitation waveshape is relatively unaffected by the individual characteristics of the transducers or the number of transducers activated during any given transducer activation period. Thus, a drive system in accordance with the preferred embodiment inherently provides every activated transducer with substantially the same excitation waveshape.
Moreover, the excitation waveshape can be altered to achieve a desired shape by adding a waveshape circuit to the voltage source. One possible voltage source and waveshape circuit is illustrated in FIG. 2. The illustrated voltage source and waveshape circuit includes a constant voltage input source 22 which provides a constant voltage, approximately 55 volts in the illustrated embodiment. The constant input voltage source is supplied to an adjustable voltage source 23 where it is adjusted using a sense resistor 24 to produce a desired nominal excitation voltage. The desired nominal excitation voltage will vary depending on the particular circumstances. For example in the illustrated embodiment, a nominal excitation voltage of approximately 30-38 volts has been found to be suitable.
The illustrated voltage source and waveshape circuit is activated by an output enable signal provided by the controller 16. At the beginning of each transducer activation period the controller takes the output enable signal low, approximately 0 volts in the illustrated embodiment. The output enable signal is illustrated in FIG. 3. The beginning of the transducer activation period is indicated at time t1.
When the output enable signal is low, transistor 26 is off. Resistors 28 and 30 and capacitor 32 cause the voltage to rise exponentially toward the nominal voltage during the duration of the transducer activation period. Transistor 36 causes VPP, the drive voltage supplied to the print head transducers, to follow the rise time. Although the values for the various electrical elements of the waveshape circuit may vary substantially in different embodiments, in the illustrated embodiment, resistor 28 is approximately 10 kΩ, resistor 30 is approximately 2.7 kΩ, and capacitor 32 is approximately 270 pF. When the output enable is high (approximately 5 volts in the illustrated embodiment), at the end of the transducer activation period illustrated in FIG. 3 as t2, the junction between resistors 28 and 30 goes low, turning off transistor 36. This removes the voltage source from VPP and allows the transducers to discharge through the drive circuit. The result is a fall in the excitation waveshape.
FIG. 4 shows the excitation waveshape produced by the circuit illustrated in FIG. 2. However, it should be appreciated that the desired waveshape may vary depending on the desired ink drop characteristics, transducer characteristics, or a multitude of other factors. Further, for each desired waveshape, there are typically a variety of circuits which can be used to shape the voltage source. Therefore, the particular waveshape circuit is not necessarily critical to the practice of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, the drive system of the present embodiment includes several stationary components, indicated collectively as reference numeral 38, and several mobile components, indicated collectively as reference numeral 40. The stationary components 38 are mounted within a printer (not shown) while the mobile components 40 are carried on the moving print head 12. As can be seen, the print head carries very few components. In particular, because the excitation waveshape is produced by turning the voltage source on and off and shaping the output voltage, it is unnecessary for each transducer to have a series network carried by the print head. The elimination of the need for series networks associated with each transducer is one major advantage of the present drive system. It allows the use of a smaller more compact head which is less cumbersome, easier to move, less expensive, and has fewer elements which are subject to failure.
This detailed description of the invention is set forth only for purposes of illustrating an example of the present invention. It should not be considered to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Clearly numerous additions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 15, 1981
|Jan 3, 1984
|Hitachi, Ltd.
|Ink jet printing apparatus
|Sep 30, 1982
|Jan 8, 1985
|International Business Machines
|Dynamic control of nonlinear ink properties for drop-on-demand ink jet operation
|May 10, 1983
|Apr 30, 1985
|Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
|Printing head driving apparatus
|Sep 20, 1982
|Jun 4, 1985
|Xerox Corporation
|Programmable driver/controller for ink jet printheads
|Jun 18, 1985
|Aug 4, 1987
|Ricoh Company, Ltd.
|Thermal recording system using unregulated power supply
|Jun 6, 1986
|Aug 11, 1987
|Schmidle Lisa M
|Multipulsing method for operating an ink jet apparatus for printing at high transport speeds
|May 13, 1987
|Jan 12, 1988
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Recording apparatus
|Oct 6, 1987
|Jan 30, 1990
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Method of driving an ink jet recording head
|Apr 22, 1988
|Mar 13, 1990
|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
|Ink jet recording apparatus with density control function
|Title not available
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Aug 24, 1998
|Sep 4, 2001
|Sony Corporation
|Ink-jet printer and apparatus and method of recording head for ink-jet printer
|Apr 29, 2013
|Mar 22, 2016
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P.
|Printhead control systems and methods for controlling a printhead
|Jun 7, 2004
|Nov 11, 2004
|Jung-Ho Lee
|Spin-on glass composition and method of forming silicon oxide layer in semiconductor manufacturing process using the same
|Apr 29, 2013
|Oct 30, 2014
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Printhead control systems and methods for controlling a printhead
|May 30, 1995
|Apr 2, 1997
|Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
|Method of driving ink jet head
|U.S. Classification
|347/10, 347/208, 347/94
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Nov 9, 1990
Owner name: DATA PRODUCTS CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:LOPEZ, JUAN E.;SHEH, EDGAR;REEL/FRAME:005507/0723
Effective date: 19901109
|Feb 20, 1996
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Mar 4, 1996
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 4, 1996
|Surcharge for late payment
|Dec 29, 1999
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Jan 14, 2004
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12


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